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112 Borneo Bulletin Yearbook 2021
On November 27, 2020, AITI signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
Beep Digital Solutions to develop and implement
the Cashless Society Pilot Programme. The
programme was rolled out in the next six months
with the provision of training and incentives to
three targetted markets - paid parking lots,
laundromats and convenience stores – so they
can adopt a digital payment system in their
premises.
As Brunei Darussalam is poised to introduce 5G
technology, the National 5G Task Force has been
established. The 5G Task Force is made up of
three working groups, namely Policy, Regulatory
and Spectrum; Use Cases, Applications and
Infrastructure; and Education and Awareness.
The 5G technology with its high-speed mobile
broadband is set to revolutionise the connectivity
in the years ahead thus opening up endless
opportunities for the development of innovative
services in the industries and enhance economic
growth in the country. The country is ready to
commence its 5G pilot programme in the first
quarter of 2021 in selected locations.
The Brunei Darussalam 5G Seminar held on
January 28, 2021 raised awareness on the
benefits and opportunities of 5G innovation.
Experts and speakers from local and international
organisations were brought together to explore
how 5G innovation can bring socio-economic
benefits. AITI also signed a collaborative
agreement with Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB)
to develop use cases based on 5G capabilities
and ecosystem which will be carried out at
UTB campus. A report on recommendations for
a holistic view for 5G implementation in Brunei
Darussalam will be produced.
In the area of personal data protection, the
Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications
(MTIC) through AITI as the interim agency
together with key stakeholders, are currently
developing the draft law on personal data
protection for the private sector.
The draft law aims to govern the collection, use
and disclosure of individuals’ personal data by
organisations, while recognising the rights of
individuals to protect their personal data and the
needs of organisations to collect, use or disclose
personal data for reasonable purposes. Also in
the pipeline is the corporatisation of the Postal
Services Department which is currently under
MTIC. The Postal Services Department will be
corporatised in 2021 and the postal regulatory
functions will be transferred to AITI.
In the wake of COVID-19, AITI has taken
several initiatives to support the nation. One
of them is the ICT devices donation drive
to support online learning, in collaboration
with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the
Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications
(MTIC). The donation drive ran from April 12,
2020 until May 14, 2020 where 1,482 devices
were received. The devices were refurbished
to meet the prescribed minimum specification
and were then distributed by MoE to students
in need.
AITI and Darussalam Enterprise (DARe)
launched on April 1, 2020.
is an online directory portal
that connects users to e-commerce platforms,
delivery and logistics service providers. It also
provides a link to the One Kampong One Product
(1K1P) official website, where the public can
purchase various local products online. This
portal also allows micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) to look for e-commerce
platforms to host their products and services.
As a precautionary measure to combat the
COVID-19 pandemic, AITI activated its Business
Continuity Plan (BCP). To ensure business can
carry on as usual with minimal impact, customers
can access services via the AITI Online Portal
at . Templates and guides for
customers were provided to address common
inquiries such as account registration and online
payments. Customers can also contact the AITI
Customer Services Unit via a WhatsApp line
at 863 5298 for a faster response time on any
queries, during office hours.
AITI looks forward to launching AITI Mobile Apps
which will incorporate selected AITI services to
enhance customers’ experience and provide
convenience at their fingertips in the near future.